Self winding electric clock



Aug, 18, 1931..

Kimm

l. A. AuNGs'r sE'LF'wINDING ELEcTRIc CLOCK y Filed aan. 1 3. 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 ngz- , Aug; 1s, 1931. l. A. AUNGST "1,819,761

SELF WNDING ELECTRIC CLOQK Filed Jan. 13, 1950 `2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 Para l IRA A. AuNGsr, or CANTON, omo

SELF WINDNG ELECTRIC CLOCK l Application filed. January 13, 1930. SeralNo. 420,398.

This invention relates to automatic electric spring or weight winders for clock mechanism, including timepieces, metronomes, phonographs, etc., but more particularly for clocks.

The principal object of my invention is to reduce the voltage and quantity of current required to operate the winding magnet, so that the clock will run for long periods, of the Yorder of a year or more, on the current from a small dry-battery of not to exceed .i1/2 volts initial pressure, down to a minimum in the neighborhood of two volts as the battery approaches exhaustion. lVhile prior attempts 16 to reduce the voltage and current consumption in devices of this class have been made, my present invention is the first to attain a result of the order mentioned, so far as I am aware. Features of the linvention congtributing to this result are the construction and arrangement of the electromagnet and its armature, and theprovision of an open-coil mainspring provided witha centering adjustment allowing the spring at all times to exert its full power without contact and friction of the coils.V Y

A further object is to provide an improved adjustment for the check-pawl of the main winding ratchet, and an improved adjustable so stop or buffer for limiting the forward movement of a magnet armature and reducing the noise developed in stopping said armature.

Of the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a reverse plan view, partly broken away, illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention. y

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus,

partly broken away and in section,'including a diagram of the electrical circuit.

face down, 'looking from the right of Fig. g1. Fig. 4 is a partial view corresponding to Fig. 2 showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection taken through the front plate and parts in the rear thereof. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are vertical sections on the lines 6 6, 7 7 and 8-8 of Fig. 5.

' Fig. 9 isy a section on the line 9-9 `Of Fg 2 l.0n ya larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus,

Fig-10 isaV semi-plan view of certain parts' looking from the plane'lO-l() in Fig. 2.,

Fig. 11 is an end view of one of the magnet` coils, and core and polepiece, partly in secy tiOIl. y.'

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 1212 oi' Fig. 2.` v

In the drawings, 2O is the double front plate, 21 is the rear plate and 22, 22 are the connecting posts of frame for the sprino' 6G and winder mechanism. 23 is the shaft or an ordinary clock-train having a bearing in the front plate 20, the rear end of said shaft being D-shaped and fitting in a correspond- `ingly-shaped aperture formed in .a circular G5;

driving plate 24 which has a force fit within a forwardly-projecting annular flange formed upon a circular disk or wheel 25 to which motion is imparted by the mainspring 26. Said disk 25 has a force fit on the for- 7L ward end of a shaft 27 whose rear end is reduced and provided with a bearing in a bridge-plate 28 supported by posts 29 from` the front plate 20. Shaft 27 also has a rear thread adjacent the bridge-plate on which is 75 screwed a cap-nut 129 for retaining the loosely-iitted parts of the Winder mechanism which-surround said shaft. 30 isa sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft 27 and having a forward enlargement to 80T which is secured the inner end of the spiral or volute mainspring 26. The coils of' saidV spring are permanently open or spaced apart andA are so held by attachment of the outer' end of said spring to an anchoring plate 3185 mounted upon the front frame-plate 20, said anchoring plate being pivotcd on a stud and adapted to be held'at the proper angular `adjustment `by the head of a screw 33 whose stem passes through a slot 311 in said anchor- Qq ing plate, concentric with stud 82. Plate 31 has a rearwardly-turned lip 35 provided with a retaining tongue 36 passing through a perforation in the end of the spring, said lip also having a coil-spacinghorn 37 forming a lat- 95 eral support for the spring-end an d'entering between the iirst and second coils of the spring to keep said coils apart. By this means the mainspring 26 may be vaccurately centered with reference to the sleeve 30 in asm seinbling it therewith, its coils are held apart and the full power of the spring is at all times available, for said spring has no friction of its own and need only be strong enough to overcome the friction of the parts driven thereby, including the clock movement. This is a factor contributing to the reduction in the amount of electromagnetic power required to wind the spring.

Loosely surrounding the shaft 27 between the front end of sleeve 30 and the rear end of disk 25 is a ratchet-wheel 38 having a forwardly-projecting pin 39 occupying an eye in one end of a C-shaped, auxiliary, expanding spring 40 whose other end is provided with a similar eye occupied by a pin 41 projecting rearwardly from the disk 20, saiddisk also having a stop-pin 42 circumferentially spaced from pin 4l to limit the opening movement of the spring. Spring 40 acts in .a wellknown manner to propel the clock-train at times 'when the mainspring is being wound by the magnet armature (hereinafter described) and is exerting no force thereon through said armature, its poWer-pawl 44 (hereinafter referred to) and the ratchetwlieel 38. At such times, spring 40 causes the pin 41 to move away from pin 39 and would continue to drive the clock movement until pin 42 comes up against the spring-eye surrounding pin 39, unless in the meantime the mainspring has again actedv through the armature, power-pawl and ratchet-wheel 38 and caused the pin 39 to catch up with pin 4l.

My invention is not Wholly limited to use with a maiiispring fixed .at its outer end and connecting by it-s inner end with Winding and clock-train devices, since the alternative arrangement in which the inner end of the spring connects with the clock-train and its outer end is periodically wound up is a welllnown equivalent,an auxiliary spring such as 40 being in that case unnecessary.

43 is a double-ended electromagnetic armature rotatably mounted on the sleeve 30 foi` winding the spring 26 by the inner end of the latter and transmitting t-he force of said spring to the ratchet-wheel 38 through aV .power-pawl 44 pivoted at 45 on said armature. rThe spring 26 connects with the armature through a ratchet-wheel 46 having a force fit on the sleeve 30 and having teeth extending oppositely to those of the ratchetwheel 38 and engaged by a pawl 47 pivoted on the stud 45, the heels of the two pawls 44 and 47 being connected by a common pawl-projecting spring 48. rlhe normal effect is the same as though the inner end of spring 26 were connected directly with the armature 43, and pawl 47 does not normally move over the teeth of ratchet-wheel 46, but when it is desired to change the initial tension of the spring, this may be done by engaging pawl 47 with a different tooth of said ratchetwheel 46. n

The spring-windiiig electromagnet, designated generally as 49, has the rear frameplate 21 as a magnetic yoke, and includes a pair of coils 50 with magnetic cores 5l fastened to said plate at their rear ends, the forward ends of said cores being extended as polepieces 52. rlhe shape of the magnet coils, cores and polepieces, and the shape and relation to said polepieces of the ends of the armature 43 are such as to yield a. greater magnetic force upon the armature from a given amount and potential of electric current, and hence to permit the winding of the spring with a current of smaller voltage and amperage, than in any previous apparatus of this class ofwhich I am aware.

The cores 5l and their polepieces 52 are of laterally-elongated, arcuate form, having parallel outer and inner faces concentric with the axis of shaft 27 forming the center of oscillation of the armature 43. The coils 50 are of corresponding oval or substantially elliptical shape and wound with a large number of turns to afford the necessary magneti- Zation with a curient of low voltage, As an example, for use with a three-cell, small dry` battery such as a radio C battery, of rated 41/2 volts potential which may drop to substantially two volts as the battery approaches exhaustion, I employ sixteen layers of thinly-insulated wire of fifteen thousandths of an inch diameter.

The armature 43 is formed with hooked ends, each of which includes a long outer jaw 53 and a shorter inner jaw 54 separated therefrom by a substantially U-shaped recess 55 movable laterally in line with the corresponding polepiece 52, the walls of said recess being curved on arcs concentric with the axis of shaft 27 and having a very small clearance from the surfaces of the polepiece in the forward position of the armature. In the fully-retracted position of the armature represented in Fig. 4, the forward end of jaw, 53A slightly overlaps the adjacent rounded end of the polepiece 52, and the forward end of jaw 54 is separated from the polepiece by a substantial space. In the fully-projected or forward position of the armature, the longer j aw 53 has advanced in registry with the polepiece 52 until its forward end is beyond the center thereof, and the shorter jaw 54 is in registry with said polepiece with its free end short of the center of the latter. In this position, both jaws are substantially within the field of" maximum intensity of the magnet coil and core, the lines of force from the coil and polepiece pass Afrom both sides into the large adjacent iron masses of the armature and through said armature to the opposite polepiece. There is no substantial bach-pull or negative torque on any part of the armature iso @ middle region where the front and back" larmature plates 56 are radially extended and although one of its jaws has passed beyond the center of magnetic force, but the attraction progressively increases as said armature advances up to that point. The attraction on the long horn or jaw 53, which is available for starting the armature and continuing its movement through a wide angle with the minimum quantity of current, is exerted at a decreasing rate as the tip of isaidjaw passes beyond the center of the polen piece, while the pull upon those portions of the armature circumferentially in line with the pole-piece obeys substantially the 4law of inverse squares, the net result being that the l'pull is maintained at a geoinetrically increas-V ing rate throughout this wide angular advance while the spring resistance increases only in proportion to the distance travelled. Hence the magnet and its armature operate 'with a very high magnetic eliiciency, a correspondingly small current may be em-` ployed, and the time during which the battery will continue to function in winding the spring in spite of partial exhaustion of its energy is greatly extended.

The construction and arrangement of the contacts for making and breaking the circuit of the magnet coils 50, and the detail construction of the armature 43 may be of any "suitable character.

I prefer to form the armature with three plates or laminations 56, 57 held together by rivets 158 and having edges flush with each other except at the spaced apart to receive and support a T- shaped contact-lever 58 and an angle latchlever 59 mounted between the plates on pivot `4studs 60 and 61 respectively, while the middle 4o plate 57 is less extended and formed with a backstop 62 for the toe of the latch-lever. Onearm of the contact-lever 58 carries a contact-stud 63 of a suitable metal such as silver, adapted to coact with a fixed contact s '64 of similar material and of arcuate shape l concentric with the axis of shaft 27, said contact64 being mounted on a metallic platey 65 which is secured by screws 66 to the front frame-plate and insulated therefrom.l

The inner extremity of the stem of contactlever 58 coacts with a retaining shoulder or hook 67 on the toe of the latch-lever 59 for holding the contacts'63 and 64 apart. A

spring 68, connecting the levers 58 and 59, tends to move the former to engagesaid conadapted to engage a side edge of one ofthe polepieces 52 at the end. of theretracting stroke of said armature. to release said lever 58 and complete the circuit.

The circuit connections are partly indicated in Figs. 1, 2,and 3 and in 'fullvdiagram in Fig. 2. The fixed contact-plate has a vertical post or arm carrying aV binding screw 71 for a wire 72 leading to the first of the two magnet coils 50, which latter are connected with each other in series. 73 is a double-end binding-post mounted on and insulated from the rear frame-plate 21 and connected at its inner end by a wire 74 with the other magnet coil and. at its outer end by a wire 75 with one pole of a battery 76 whose other pole isconnected by a ground wire 77 with a screw 78 on the front frame plate 20, the latter being electrically. connected through the intervening mechanism with the movable Contact 63. j

79 is a clieck-pawl urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 38 by a flat spring 8O anchored on a post 81 attached to the front frame-plate 20. Since it is important in obtaining an accurate initial setting of this check-pawl, which will permit a maximum movement of the ratchet wheel 38 and compensate for tooth wear, to prof `vide a means for readily adjusting the circumferential position rof the pawl, I have provided an improved adjusting means as follows: The hub of pawl 7 9, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 12, is pivoted upon an eccentric 82 adapted to turn about a` post formed by the stem of a screw 83 whose lower end isthreadedinto the front frame-plate 20, the eccentric being formed on the rear end of a hexagon block 84 to which a spanner wrench may be applied for turning said block and eccentric and thus performing the adjustment of pawl 79 when the screw 83 is loosened. The head of said screw, when the latter is tightened, clamps or fixes the block 84 in the' desired adjustment. It is further desirable that the armature 43 should end its forward stroke at a definite point and be stopped with aminimum of noise. For this purpose I have provided a readily-adjustable armature stop or bumper illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 9. On a`post y85 projecting rearwardly from the frontI frame-plate 20 is mounted a soft-rubber bumper-ring 86 adapted to be encountered by an abutment 187 on the middle plate of the armature 43 at the forward end of the latters stroke. Said bumper ring is flanked by parallel front and rear facing plates 87, 88, having hexagonal peripheries to receive a Spanner wrench, the plate 87 being formed with an aperture 89 which slidingly. receives a dowel pin 90 fixed in the Vplate 88 and passing through an aperture in the bumper ring 86 for holding the latter and the two facing plates against relative turning movement. Saidbumper ring and plates are eccentrically apertured to receive a pivot post formed by the stem of a screw 91 threaded into the post 85 and having a head which abuts against the facing plate 88. On loosening A.this screw, the bumper assembly may readily be turned to give it the desired adjustmentwith reference to the armature abutment 187, whereupon the screw is Vtightened and clamps the parts tightly upon the post 85,

fthe compression of the rubber bumper ring serving to hold them a-gainst loosening without any further locking devices.

In the operation of this apparatus, the parts are in the positions represented in Fig.

34 at the completion of the back-stroke of armature 43, the heel of latch-lever 59 having then engaged one of the polepieces 52 to release the contact-lever 58 and bring the movable contact 63 against the fixed contact This completes the circuit through the magnet 49 and the attraction of the latter for the armature swings said armature forward to the position represented in Fig. 2, the pawl 44 being thereby moved back over the ratchet-wheel 38 and the mainspring 26 being wound up by its inner end through the armature-pawl 47, the ratchet-wheel 46 and the sleeve 30. During this forward stroke, the clock-train is propelled by the auxiliary spring 40. At the completion ofthe forward stroke, the abutment 69 on the stem of contact-lever 58 encounters the post 29 of bridge-plate 28, thereby swinging said lever to separate the contacts 63 and 64 and hold them apart by the engagementof latch-lever 59 with the stem of said contact-lever. The circuit of the magnet being thereby broken, the force of the mainspring 26 is reeXerted on the armature and therethrough upon the clock-train by way of pawl 44, ratchet-wheel 38, pins 39 and 41, disk 25, driving-plate 24 and clock-movement arbor 23 to rotate the latter. The foregoing action is repeated at short intervals of, say, four minutes each.

The very small current required to operate this mechanism by reason of its described construction and arrangement, permits the use of a small dry-battery as above set forth, which will run the device for a year or more.

Furthermore by reason of the low heating said armature a positive torque increasing at a geometric rate throughout the advance of the armature, and means actuated by the movement of said armature for controlling the magnet circuit.

2. ln an electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, and electro-magnet comprising an oval coil, an oval core therein having a transversely-elongated polepiece, an armature coacting with the magnet and having a circumferential portion disposed longitudinally of the major axes of the coil and polepiece for stressing said spring, and switch means operated by the armature for controlling the circuit of said magnet.

3. In au electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, a pivoted spring-actuating armature formed with a substantially U- shaped, arcuate recess concentric with its pivotal axis, and with jaws embracing said recess, the outer jaw being angularly longer than the inner one, an electro-magnet having an arcuate polepiece also concentric with said axis and adapted to be received in said recess in the forward position of the armature, and an electric switch in the magnet circuit, adapted to be opened and closed by said armature.

4. 1n an electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, an electro-magnet having a transversely-elongated polepiece, a reciprocating armature for stressing said spring, said armature having long and short jaws adapted to embrace the polepiece between them in the forward position of the armature, in which position the free ends of both of said jaws are registered with the polepiece, the longer jaw being beyond and the shorter one short of the centerkof the polepiece, and means actuated by the armature for opening and closing` the'magnet circuit.

5. In an electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, a bipolar electro-magnet comprising transversely-elongated cores and pole-pieces whose inner and outer faces are curved on the arcs of concentric circles, oval coils surrounding said cores, a magnet switch, and a spring-actuating and switchactuating armature pivoted concentrically with said polepieces and having hooked ends, each with an angularly longer outer jaw whose end registers with the correspondingk polepiece beyond the center of the latter in the forward position of the armature, and an angularly shorter inner jaw whose end registers with the polepiece on the opposite side thereof, short of its center, in said forward position. Y

6. In an electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spiral or volute spring for actuating the time mechanism, electro-magnetic means for winding said spring, and

supporting means for said spring, adjustbeing axially movable by the stud head, for able to vary the position of the spring as a compressing said ring between them.

whole, in the plane thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 7. In an electric clock mechanism, the commy hand this 11th day of January, 1930.

bination of a permanently open-coil, `spiral or volute spring for actuating the time mechanism, electro-magnetic means for winding said spring, a pivoted support connected with the outer end of said spring for varying the position of the latter` in its own plane, and means for fixing said support in different angular positions.

8. In an electric clock mechanism, the combination of aspiral or volute spring having permanently-open coils forV actuating the time mechanism, electro-magnetic means for winding said spring, a base plate, a supporting plate for the outer end of the spring, pivoted on said base plate, said supporting plate having a horn located lbetween the first and second coils ofthe spring,-and a retaining screw mounted on the base plate and passing through a slot in the supporting plate for iiX- ing the latter in different angular positions.

9. In an electric clock mechanism, the comv bination of a spring, an electromagnet for stressing said spring, a ratchet-wheel, a check-pawl for said wheel, and an eccentric adjustment for said pawl. Y

l0. In an electricV clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, a ratchet-wheel, an electromagnethaving an armaturevconnected with the spring for imparting movement to said Wheel, a checl-pawl for said ratchet wheel, a base plate, a screw stud thereon having a head, and a journal for said pawl, eccentrically pivoted on said stud and adapted to be held by the latters head in different angular positions for varying the adjustment of said pawl circumferentially of the ratchet Wheel.

11. In an electric clock mechanism, the combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, an electro-magnet having a reciprocating armature for intermittently stressing said spring, and a stop for limiting the advancing movement of said armature, said stop being eccentrically adjustable to vary the stopping point of the armature.

12. In an electric clock mechanism, lthe combination of a spring for actuating the time mechanism, an electro-magnet having a reciprocating armature for intermittently stressing said spring, and a resilient stop device for limiting the advancing movement of said armature, said device including a support, a headed screw stud thereon, and buffer means for the armature, eccentrically pivoted on said support and adapted to be secured by the stud head in different angular l adjustments, said buffer means comprising a soft ring surrounding the stud, and a pair of clamping plates pinned together against relative turning movement, one of said plates IRA A. AUNGST. 

